Report: NFL Owners Upset With Stan Kroenke Over Attempt to Dodge Legal Expenses

Multiple NFL owners are not pleased with Rams owner Stan Kroenke after he informed them that he is backtracking on his promise to pay tens of millions of dollars in legal fees related to his team's relocation to Los Angeles from St. Louis, per ESPN's Seth Wickersham. 

During Tuesday's owners meeting, NFL general counsel Jeff Pash informed the owners in attendance of the the move which reportedly left them angered and stunned. 

The Rams and NFL owners have been dealing with a four-year lawsuit from the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority. It argues that the NFL misled the city on the team's plans to leave and cost it millions of dollars in revenue. 

As part of the team's relocation to Los Angeles, Kroenke agreed to pay the bulk of the legal fees from the lawsuit. He, along with the owners of the Chargers and Raiders, agreed to an indemnification agreement years ago when all three franchises were planning their relocation. Kroenke's lawyers reportedly informed Pash that he was challenging the indemnification agreement.

He addressed the room of owners arguing that the lawsuit was not his fault and he did everything the other NFL owners asked of him. He was then asked to leave the room by commissioner Roger Goodell. 

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was supportive of Kroenke and said he had done a lot for the NFL. Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, said Kroenke's position was unfair — something most of the owners felt. Giants co-owner John Mara called the new stance ridiculous and added that the only reason the other owners agreed to the relocation was because Kroenke agreed to indemnify the league, per ESPN. 

The lawsuit is due for trial on Jan. 10, 2022. Super Bowl LVI is scheduled just a month later at SoFi Stadium where the Rams call home.